Chinese Media Downplays Row Over UN Vote on JeM’s Masood Azhar

Chinese media highlighted Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s remarks that Sino-India ties should not be affected by a third party even as it skirted any reference to his call to Beijing to review its stand on blocking India’s efforts to get Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar banned by the UN.

The issue of Azhar, Jaish-e-Muhammad chief, was raised by External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj during her meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Monday, while Parrikar called on China to strike a united stand with India on terrorism.

What happened in UN is not in the right direction and they have to take a common line on terrorism which is in the interests of India and China.

Parrikar had said after his meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan

For its part, the state-run media here highlighted Parrikar’s remarks to Chang that India hopes that the development of bilateral ties will not be affected by other factors including the third party.
The remarks came one week after Parrikar and US Defence Secretary Ash Carter vowed to safeguard maritime security in the region, including the South China Sea, state-run ‘China Daily’ reported.

According to observers, India is seeking to strike a balance between China and the United States in its frequent high-level meetings with Chinese officials this week.